THE Dumfries and Galloway local enterprise company which is

responsible for creating and fostering local businesses has appointed a

Carlisle-based consultancy as part of its First in Scotland campaign to

attract new businesses to South-west Scotland.

The decision to appoint an English firm to handle public relations for

the First in Scotland inward investment campaign was taken in tandem

with Dumfries and Galloway Regional Council despite two local firms also

tendering for the six-month, #12,000 contract.

The local enterprise company, which last year was involved in

controversy over the resignation of its chief executive and adverse

comment over the volume of contracts which had gone to organisations

associated with its board members, has a responsibility to foster local

industry and commerce and to generate new business.

Both Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise and the regional council have

defended the decision to award the contract to the Carlisle-based

Wallace 2 organisation despite criticism from local councillors and from

unsuccessful tenderers.

SNP regional councillor William Farrell, from Moffat, said: ''This is

a ridiculous decision. Getting somebody from over the Border is rubbing

our noses in it a bit. They are saying that there's nobody here in

Dumfries and Galloway or even in Scotland who could have done the job.''

Councillor John Dowson, of Dumfries, said: ''The decision was taken by

officers of both organisations and not elected representatives. I think

a lot of us are disappointed. There are two or three firms which could

have done this PR work in the region.''

Mr Dowson, a former Labour councillor who is now an independent,

added: ''This will be raised at the next meeting of the council's

economic development committee. We must have new guidelines and

procedures laid down. I think we should be seen to be supporting local

companies. If that seems parochial then it is positively so.''

Mr Robert Brown, SNP constituency convener in Dumfries, said: ''It's

absolutely absurd. This is bad for Scotland and bad for local pride. It

makes a nonsense of the concept of First in Scotland.''

Mr Jeff Thomson, who runs a PR company in Dumfries, was one of the

local firms whose bid was rejected.

A former John Player, Saatchi and Saatchi, and Central Office of

Information PR executive, he said: ''I'm obviously in a difficult

position because another firm was preferred to mine but I do think that

the decision to go to Carlisle, which was taken by officials and not by

councillors, breaches the spirit of what the local enterprise company

and the region's economic development committee are supposed to be

about.

''I've written to the council asking them to examine their procedures

and saying that councillors and not officials should set policy. Are

both organisations going to support local business or not? That is the

issue.''

Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise director of finance and

administration Stan Cairnie said: ''Our published tendering procedures

were followed. Three firms were asked to tender against a fixed budget

and asked to present a set of ideas. The final decision was taken on the

basis of presentation and on a value for money basis.''